new blue-and-yellow Fairchild Cornell. For propaganda purposes the RNAF hired a film crew and renowned American journalist Lowell Thomas to narrate how “Crown Princess Martha opens the christening ceremony for a number of gift airplanes,” while pointing to the fuselage inscriptions that read “Fra Nordmenn— Argentina” and “Fra Nordes Venner—Minnesota.” As the paper was ripped away to reveal more inscriptions on Cornells, Thomas said, “And five-year-old Prince Harald performs his first official act . . . unveiling more planes bought with funds contributed by Norwegians or friends of Norway in South America and the United States.”
High on the list of the friends of Norway was the citizenry of Toronto. By the time the camp was fully operational, around Christmas 1940, training flights of blue-and-yellow Cornells and all-green Hawks were a common sight across the Toronto skyline. Although some officials in the city warned of “the risks of aviation over the bay,” on most pleasant, sunny days Torontonians congregated along the waterfront to watch the bombing and strafing manoeuvres. So did many RCAF recruits, newly inducted at the main Toronto Manning Depot nearby. Navigation recruit Al Rutherford remembered several drill parades disintegrating into total chaos as recruits craned their necks to see the Norwegian flyers instead of paying attention to their marching steps. In fact, around Toronto, some air force recruiting posters that read “Join the Royal Canadian Air Force” had been chalked with the addition “and watch the Norwegians fly.”
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